★★★★☆
With a career that started over 30 years in the Belgian electronic music scene, Berlin-based Eric Van Wonterghem, the man behind Monolith (the alias he unveiled in 1997), is still unleashing forward-thinking, industrial tinged electronic gems. Time Running Out is the latest in a long line of quality releases from the mainstay also known for his production work under the aliases Absolute Body Control, The Klinik and Insekt.
Time Running Out kicks off with “Construct,” a heavyweight monster with bass that throbs throughout. The infectious track is high-energy industrial techno with a solid groove and glacial feel that grabs you with its immediacy and won’t let go. This is hard-edged techno at its best and the cut that follows, “Deconstruct,” is just as hard. It’s more stripped back but no less intense and has a noticeably higher tempo that morphs into a cavernous sound that’s primed for the dance floor. “Ghost Cities” has to be the standout here. It’s a seven-minute techno anthem that pulsates with a harder edged thump that can only be described as relentless but with an air of melody. The slower track “Time” closes out the release and has a haunting feel to it. The industrial influences that are so prevalent throughout are present and correct here and ends things on a high note. Fans of techno with an industrial leaning should do anything to seek this release out and indulge in its sparse beats and rhythms. Long may Monolith release music as good and as inspiring as this.